- published: 20 Jun 2010
- views: 18622512
A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on to droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere. It takes the form of a multicoloured arc. Rainbows caused by sunlight always appear in the section of sky directly opposite the sun.
In a "primary rainbow", the arc shows red on the outer part, and violet on the inner side. This rainbow is caused by light being refracted while entering a droplet of water, then reflected inside on the back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it.
In a double rainbow, a second arc is seen outside the primary arc, and has the order of its colours reversed, red facing toward the other one, in both rainbows. This second rainbow is caused by light reflecting twice inside water droplets.
The rainbow is not located at a specific distance, but comes from any water droplets viewed from a certain angle relative to the Sun's rays. Thus, a rainbow is not a physical object, and cannot be physically approached. Indeed, it is impossible for an observer to manoeuvre to see any rainbow from water droplets at any angle other than the customary one of 42 degrees from the direction opposite the Sun. Even if an observer sees another observer who seems "under" or "at the end" of a rainbow, the second observer will see a different rainbow further off-yet, at the same angle as seen by the first observer.
Give me rainbows to fill up my eyes
Give me colours so that I won't cry
Give me flowers as I go walking by
In these hours where I only try
Give me love, give me hope, give me faith
Give me all of your dreams
Now there's joy everywhere in my heart
And it feels like Spring
Where did you go?Where did you go?
And why can't I see you...
Why can'tI feel you?
Give me rainbows, take away the clouds
Give me colours
That's all I want now
That's all I want now
That's all I want now